dallas fans spent an entire summer asking themselves the question, who shot j.r.? it was a testament to the acting abilities of the real larry hagman. the son of singer mary martin, larry hagman's own career was launched in the 1960s with a role at astronaut anthony nelson in the sit-com i dream of jeannenie opposite barbara eden playing the part of the jeannenie. >> i must have gone further into orbit than i thought. >> osgood: though other tv and film roles followed, it was dallas that put him on the map. >> get me the police. reporter: when the identity of j.r.'s assailant was revealed in november of 1980, as many as 83 million people in the united states alone would tune in. >> really surprised. i thought his wife had done it. >> osgood: by then j.r. ewing was on the mend from his wounds and back in the saddle until the conclusion of the series in 1991. the very next year hagman was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, a result he candidly admitted from years of heavy drinking. the discovery of a tumor in 1995 required a liver transplant. >> you won, honey. i